Improvement in plaiting-machines



Li. H. OLMSTED.

PLAITING MACHINE. No.180,054. razenmirul' 18, 18.75.

bodying my improvements.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEVERETT H. OLMSTED, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN PLAlTlNG-MACHINES.

I Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 180,054 dated July 18, 1876 application filed April 1, 1cm.

To all whom it may conoernk Be it known that 1, LEVERETT H. OLM- STED, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Plaiting- Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention consists essentially in a novel construction and arrangement of parts, whereby I am enabled to operate the rollers and plaiting-knii'e by means of an oscillating lever and a connecting device; also in a novel construction and arrangement of a doubleacting spring or springs for co-operation with the lever and connecting-link, to impart the requisite back and forward motion to the knife-carrying frame 5 and, further, in certain details of construction and arrangement of parts for lessening the friction and providing for the heating of the hollow roller, and for adjusting the working parts of the machine.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the manner of carrying out my invention.

Figure 1 is a front view of a machine cm- Fig. 2 is a side or end view of the same. Fig.-3 is a transverse vertical section,taken in the line a: w'ot' Fig. 1. 4 is a vertical section at right angles to Fig. 3.

The rollers of the machine have their bear ings in two standards, B B, rising from the supporting base or platform A. The lower roller 0 has one of its journals or gudgeons extending beyond its bearing in the standard, and serving as a fulcrum, c, for an oscillating lever, E. This lever is provided with one or more pawls, f, for engagement with a ratchet, 0*, attached to the roller 0, by which means an intermittent rotary motion is imparted to said roller, when said lever is oscillated back and forth. The upper rpller D is journaled in elastic bearings, hereinafter described, and is arranged with its surface in contact with that of the lower roller, and may be rotated by friction or may be provided with gears, as shown. The upper end or long arm of the lever E may be formed into or provided with a handle to facilitate its manipulation. Thelower end or short arm is connected by alink with theswinging knife-carryingframe. By this means the machine is operated entirely by the'oscillating motion of the lever, instead of by a continuous rotary motion of a crank-shaft, as in machines heretofore constructed. By employing an oscillating motion for operating the machine,I am enabled to dispense with many parts heretofore employed for giving motion to the machine, and to cheapen and simplify itsoonstruction.

The knife G is of the usual or any'suitable construction, and is carried by a swinging inclined frame, H, composed of two end pieces horizontal position, or at an acute angle with.

relation to the frame H, and with its front edge in contact with the surface of the lower roller. The backward motion of the frame is limited and regulated by means of a stop, consisting of a screw-rod,J, having its lower end pivoted to the base A. and its upper portion passing through a hole in the connecting crossbar of the frame H. The rod J is provided with one of more nuts, 6, against which the cross-bar strikes and thus arrests the backward. motion of the frame- The rod may alsobe provided witha cushion of rubber or other elastic or soft material resting on the nut, for lessening the shock and noise of the concussion. The nut or nuts may be screwed up or down on the rod, in order to diminish oriucrease the amount of travel allowed to 1 .end or short arm of the lever E at the other end by means of a screw, j", passing through a slot, l, in the link, and into one of two holes,

0,311 the lever. By means of the slot l a certain amount of play is allowed to the lever without moving the frame H, in consequence of which, when the lever is moved forward, the rollers begin to rotate before the knife begins to recede.

Instead of a slotted link, as shown, the connection may be made by means of' a togglejoint or other suitable device which will accomplish a similar result and instead of the connection of the lever being made at one end of the frame, it may be made near the midlength, or at any other suitable point, by means of a link attached to an'arm extending from the lever in a direction parallel with its axis.

The spring or springs foraetuating the knife may be of any suitable description, and arranged to operate either by contraction or pansion.

As shown herein, two springs are employed, each of which consists ot'a flat strip of steel, M, having its lower end rigidly attached to the base A, and its upper portion free to \'i brate. -The spring is slightly curved forward toa point, m, near its upper end, and then bent at an obtuse angle. The portion of the springs near the angles m bears against the frame H, or against arms or studs h h project ing therefrom, with a tendency to'pnsh the frame in a direction toward the rollers. The point of rigid attachment of the spring, and the point of its engagement with the frame, are not in the same vertical line and the angle m of the spring, and the points of connection of the link L, are not in the same horizontal line, so that when the arms or studs h h are above theangles m the springs have a tendency to push the frame upward, and force the knife between the rollers and, when said studs are below said angles, the springs have a tendency to push the frame downward until it is arrested by the stop J.

The parts above described operate as follows When thelever E is moved backward toward the observer in Fig. 2, or toward the left hand side in Figs. 2 and 3, the pawl f slips over the ratchet c until thelever reaches the end of its backward movement As soon as the screw j" reaches the outer end of the slot 6 it pushes the link L so as to raise the frame H., As soon as the studs it pass the angles at the springs M push the frame forward with a sudden motion, so as to force the edge of the knife between the rollers, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, carrying'with itthe cloth, which is represented by the line a in said figure. When the lever is moved in. the'opposite direction the pawl engages with the ratclr at, and starts the rolleis in the diiection of the arrow, so as to press the plait between the surfaces of the two rollers, and take it from the knife before allowing the knife itself to recede.

As soon as the screw j X reaches the inner end.

of the slot 1 it pushes on the link L so as to force the frame backward, and withdraws the knife from the plait, and from btweenthe two r011 ers. As soon as the studs it pass the angles at the springs M push the .frame downward and backward until it is arrested by the stop J, as shown in-full lines. As the knife is held down by the spring 9 its edgeslides over the surface of thecloth during the backward motion, and, when arrested, it is in position for the formation of another plait when again moved forward. By thus adjusting the motions of the knife and rollers with relation to each other [insure the plait being caught and pressed between the rollers beforethe knife is withdrawn therefrom, and thus form a perfect plait.

The width of the plait is determined by the adjustment of the back stop formed by the rod J and nut or nuts t. The distance between the plaits is determined by the adjustment of the travel of the oscillating lever E, which may be accomplished in various ways, as, for example, by means of standards or arms rising from the base A for the lever to abut against, or by means of two lugs on the a standard provided with adjustable screw-rods or studs. As shown herein, however, the travel of the lever is regulated by means of two screw-rods. N N The rod N works in a screw-threaded hole in a lug, b, projecting the lug b the amount of travel. allowed the' lever is diminished or increased, and the motion imparted to the rollers is regulated thereby. r

If desired, the rod N may be provided with a nut between the lever and the lug for arresting the backward motion; but the arrange ment shown is deemed the most convenient.

As the slot l in the link L admits ofsome play to the lever E without moving the knife, the distance between the plaits may be increased by oscillating the lever so as to rotate the roller without movingthe knife.

The lower roller, 0, is hollow in order to provide for heating it by means of gas or a heated core. In order to prevent too great friction of the hearing at the open end of the roller, .in consequence of the expansion resulting from the heating, I employ two or more friction-rollers, P, attached to thestandard B,

which rollers form a bearing for the open ended portion of the hollow roller, and said roller is held in place on said bearings by the contact of the upper roller therewith. The standard B is, provided with an opening corresponding in size with the open end of the roller, in order to admit a gas-burner or a heated core. a

When gas is used for heating I employ a burner consisting of a perforated pipe, Q, passing inside the roller, and held in place by a lug, g, which may be removed-in order to allow a heated core to be used when desired.

The upper roller D is journaled in boxes R working in vertical slots in the sandards B B. Under each box is a spring, 8, resting on the solid portion of the standard, and bearing upward against the box. Over each box is'a vertically-sliding rod, S, the upper -end of which extends upward into a notch in the standard. An elastic pressure-bard rests in these notches in the standard, and bears upon the rods S. A cam-lever, V, is pivoted in lugs on the upper edges of the cross-bar B connecting the standards. When the cam-lever is depressed the upper roller is pressed down; ward against'the lower one, and when said lever is elevated the springs 8 separate the two rollers sufliciently to allow of the insertion or removal of the work. What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The combination of the oscillating handlever E, the ratchet 0 and pawl f, for operating the rollers, the knife-carrying frame H,

spring or springs, substantially as herein described.

3. Ina plaiting-machine, the combination, with the hollow roller, of the friction-roller bearings, arranged as shown and described,

for the purpose specified.

4. The combination, with the upper roller D and its journal-boxes, of the lifting-springs .98, the sliding rods S S, the elastic presser-bar '1, and the cam-lever V, all substantially as herein decribed.

5. In a plaiting-machine, the combination, with the oscillating lever E for operating the rollers and plaiting-knit'e, of stops for regulating the amount of travel of said lever, substantially as herein described.

L. H. OLMSTED.

Witnesses:

E. R. BROWN, FRED. HAYNES. 

